This Cambridge Audio amplifier is enjoying a £200 Black Friday discount, but I've found a better alternative for the same price

Cambridge Audio CXA81 MKII integrated amplifier

(Image credit: Cambridge Audio)

Cambridge Audio has been dropping some tempting Black Friday hi-fi deals on many of its hi-fi products this week, and one that caught my eye is this £200 saving on the CXA81 MkII stereo amplifier.

This is one of the brand's newest additions, and replaces two superb five-star, former Award-winning amplifiers. The CXA81 MkII is now yours for £799 at Richer Sounds and Cambridge Audio UK – which is quite a savvy saving.

But wait – is there a better deal out there for a better amplifier? Yes, in fact, there is another stereo amplifier that is also enjoying a Black Friday deal and what's more, it's going for the same price as the Cambridge. This would be the former What Hi-Fi? Award-winning Arcam A15, which is currently £799 at Peter Tyson, representing a considerable £300 saving overall.

Cambridge Audio CXA81 MkII deal

Arcam A15 amplifier deal

And the best in this price range is the five-star Arcam A15 stereo amplifier, which boasts features such as Bluetooth 5.2, a 3.5mm headphone socket, and a MM phono stage. It also has 80W per channel, but no HDMI input here either. A USB input would have been nice, but this shouldn’t put you off an amazing amplifier.

It sounds wonderfully powerful, precise and poised, too, with an agile, cohesive and organised presentation that really gets to the heart of music.

The refined A15+ successor pushes this performance that bit further, but this £799 deal price is a fantastic offer on an Award-winning product that's only two years old. Highly recommend.

We tested the Arcam A15 against the Cambridge CXA81 MkII during our review, and concluded that while the Cambridge offered a bold, spacious and authoritative sound – which was much more detailed, cleaner and bigger than its own predecessors – it ultimately didn't quite have the rhythmic drive and dynamic subtlety to match the five-star Arcam A15.

In our four-star Cambridge CXA81 MkII review, we said the Award-winning Arcam A15's "clearly more musically cohesive and organised delivery is more convincingly able to carry the momentum and pace-changes of the piece. While the Arcam is a little lighter in the bass than the Cambridge, it is more agile down there, too... the A15 is that bit more expressive and organised in delivering the intricate instrumentation, and is ultimately more interesting to listen to."

On its own, the CXA81 MkII is pleasing to listen to. Its sense of spaciousness, the refined and clean detail, large-scale dynamics and openness offer plenty to enjoy. When compared with its price rival, however, there's only one clear winner.

Integrated amplifier: Arcam A15 — (Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

Our original comparison was when the Cambridge cost £999 and the A15 was £1099 at full price, and now that they're both available at the same £799 price – our verdict remains the same.

In our Arcam A15 review, we called it "a wonderfully commanding and controlled performer. It excels in terms of grip and composure... Dynamic nuances are conveyed with finesse and we love the way it renders instrumental textures with such delicacy."

If you're looking for a stereo amplifier upgrade and have come across either of these Black Friday hi-fi deals and are wondering which one to get, the Arcam A15 at its £799 deal price would get our vote every time.

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Kashfia is the Hi-Fi and Audio Editor of What Hi-Fi? and first joined the brand 13 years ago. During her time in the consumer tech industry, she has reviewed hundreds of products (including speakers, amplifiers, turntables and headphones), been to countless trade shows across the world and fallen in love with hi-fi kit much bigger than her. In her spare time, Kash can be found tending to an ever-growing houseplant collection and shooing her cat Jolene away from spinning records.

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